The present disclosure relates to dental apparatuses for illuminating the oral cavity of a patient's mouth. The apparatuses include cheek retractors and light emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide substantially uniform illumination during use.
Illuminating the oral cavity during dental procedures is important for effective treatment. Dentists must be able to see, review, and access the inside of a patient's mouth clearly during dental examinations, checkups, cleanings, dental procedures, and oral surgery. However, access to the interior of the mouth is difficult, in part because the oral cavity is generally accessed through only one opening, the lips. All equipment must pass through the lips, but the dentist must remain able to see the interior of the mouth.
Exterior light sources are common. However, the common dental lamp has many drawbacks. The exterior light can be easily blocked by, for example, the dentist's head or hands, the equipment, or the patient's teeth, gums, lips, or tongue. All of these body parts can cause shadows that hinder the dentist's sight. The intensity of the light illumination diminishes as the distance between the light source and the patient increases. Also, external lights can cause discomfort in a patient's eyes. Finally, some portions of the oral cavity, such as the lingual side of the incisors, cannot be illuminated directly from outside the mouth without significant re-positioning and uncomfortable posture changes on the part of the both the patient and dentist.
Some devices place a light source between the dentist and the mouth, which removes shadows caused by the dentist. However, these devices can occupy desired space in the oral cavity or block the mouth itself, which can hinder the dentist's access to the interior of the mouth and/or significantly impair the dentist's range of motion and ability to effectively perform dental procedures.
It would be desirable to provide an interior light source for the oral cavity that reduces these problems.